ISLAMABAD ( NOMAN MASOOD GUEST WRITER )
More than 200 regular employees of the Mobilink, one of Pakistan’s major telecom operators, are braced to lose their jobs in a development that comes in complete negation of the tall claims the federal government functionaries have repeatedly made to strengthen human resource development in the telecom sector.
According to details, the Mobilink has asked more than 200 of its employees assigned to call centers in Karachi and Islamabad to immediately tender resignations and in return, accept one year salary and school fees for their children while denying them all the related perks and privileges including health insurance, medical allowances and other benefits. The move has sent shock waves in the telecom sector since Mobilink is set to outsource its call centers in Karachi and Islamabad. The telecom company is reported to have conveyed to its employees straight away that there was no surety of their future in case they wanted to continue job with the outsourced company and that too on contractual basis without any additional perks.
“We feel that we have been left in the lurch. On one hand, we are being sacked and asked to accept one-year salary offer. On the other hand, if we don’t accept this offer and continue with the new company, there are high chances our jobs would be terminated any time and even if we are allowed to work, it would be on contractual basis without any perks and privileges except a low salary,” said some of the affected employees on the condition of anonymity.
They asked Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman to intervene into the matter and play her role. “Where is the telecom minister? More than 200 people are about to get deprived of their livelihood but there is no one to redress their problems. The minister said so many times that government was taking prioritised steps to strengthen human resource development but the reality goes otherwise,” the sources commented.
They feared that the axing of over 200 regular employees would set a dangerous precedent in the telecom sector and other cellular networks may follow the course which would create an atmosphere of job insecurity and uncertainty.